Fire Emblem: The Fate of Shadows
by Omega the Mighty
Summary: Original Fire Emblem story, where you can submit your characters via PM. Full summary inside.
1. Chapter 1

**Omega: Alright, a new fanfiction.**

**Albedo: Another one to blow off?**

**Yoshi: Shut up.**

**Sméagol: Yes, precious. Master is trying he is.**

**Omega: Yeah, I've kinda hit a creative block for the next chapter of my other one, so I'll start a new fanfiction in the meantime.**

**Albedo: Whatever.**

**Omega: Now, this chapter is an intro chapter, seeing as this is an original story.**

**Well, here goes nothing.**

* * *

Chapter 1: The Realm of Allercia

Greetings, friend. You've come for a story, haven't you? Well sit down, make yourself comfortable, and I'll try and find a good one.

How about this: I'll tell you the story of the War of the Shadow. I hope you haven't heard the tale, for I've been itching to tell it. It's actually quite good.

Well, I guess I should start by explaining what the story is about. This tale takes place in an ancient land known as Allercia. It is a unique name, for it is unique place.

The World on which this continent lies is filled with magic. It was made that way at the dawn of time. Certain individuals have been able to tap into the energy of physical existence, known as Anima. Those who can and will tap into these powers can affect the physical world around them to there benefit. These individuals are known as mages, but they are much closer to what you would call a scientist, for Anima requires much study to manipulate. Others in this land have learned to manipulate a different form of energy: the power of their own souls. This form of magic is referred to as Light magic, however, that does not mean that wicked and evil individuals cannot tap into the power of their own soul. However, the power of Light is amplified by the aid of the Divine wind, which will only aid the good. There are also other spiritual energies out in abundance, and they can be manipulated as well. However, the use of this magic is generally frowned upon by the general populous, and has thus earned the name Dark magic. Despite the name, Dark magic can if fact be used for great good. It is important to note that demonic contact, the use of powers bestowed by a demon, is grouped together with supposedly "Dark" magic.

The continent of Allercia is divided into seven kingdoms. The first of these kingdoms, to the north of the continent, is Kreyal, the militant Mountain Kingdom. A nation made up almost entirely of rocky peaks, it does possess a few fertile valleys. It is famous for its armies, especially its flying units, Pegasus and Wyvern Knights. The ruler of this land is Targor, the Warrior King, whose lance it is rumoured can defeat an entire army.

Directly south of Kreyal is the peaceful Greater Plains Kingdom, Sheina. Full of rolling hills and peaceful plains, it lies at the centre of the continent. It's a land were religion is prominent, were every city one goes to plays host to an enormous cathedral. It is governed by the wise Priestly King, Solomon. Rumour has it that the king of the land speaks to the Divine Wind itself.

Beneath the Greater Plains Kingdom is the newly forged Lesser Plains Kingdom, Gryra. Originally part of Shiena, its landscape is quite similar. It separated from the Greater Plains for religious freedom. While religion is still accepted and prominent in the land, it plays a lesser role than it does in Shiena, where Priests and Monks have as much say in government as the lesser nobles. This new land is led by Cephus, the Peaceful King. A cousin of King Solomon of Sheina, he is the peacemaker between the other nations, helping to settle many disputes.

Directly west of the Plains Kingdoms, yet still bordering the Mountain Kingdom is Hammel, the mysterious Forest Kingdom. Its dark forests hide many secrets, some of which were never meant to see the light of day. It ends at the western coast of the continent, with cliffs wherever it meets the sea. It is ruled by Titianna, the aloof Huntress Queen, who had never gone on a single hunt without returning with a prize that even the most seasoned of hunters envy.

Making up the entire eastern coast is Drial, the Industrious Ocean Kingdom. This kingdom not only takes up the entire eastern coast, but most of the islands of the world as well. It is a place of knowledge and insight, where inventors, theorists, and scientists flourish. Atheism is strong in this land as well, creating a metaphorical distance between it and its western neighbour, Sheina. The land is led not by a monarch, but by a group of elected officials, the most prominent of which is Gremor. Most find the government in this society corrupt, with to many individuals making there way into government office through fear.

The only island not under control of Drial is Grelt, the Jungle Island. The smallest of all the nations, and by far the most primitive, all nations nevertheless treat it with a large amount of respect, and in some cases, fear. Its warriors, though less in number, are no less dangerous than those of Kreyal, and its land forces are said to even be superior to those of the Mountain Kingdom. This nation is also the most secluded of all the other nations, only doing trade with Kreyal, whom they regard as a land of worthy warriors. Each village on the island is lead by a chief, all of which are united under Head Chief Dragak, who is said to be the only one to have fought with the King Targor and live to tell the tale.

The last nation, to the south is simply known as the Waste. A desolate place were barely anything grows, it is often wondered why the entire land is still considered a kingdom. The barren, rock surface breeds hardened people, with hardly any concern for anyone but themselves. While most of the land is empty of life, there are a few places where plants, animals, and humans defiantly flourish. These are places were hope is strong and the will of the people is stronger. The foremost of these locations is known as the Wasteland Oasis. This is where most of recognised society in the Waste is found. This small area and the surrounding area of lifelessness is ruled by King Hiosho, the solemn but calculating Tactician King. A master strategist, it has been said he can take an entire nation on with but twenty men.

These seven nations, Kreyal, Sheina, Gryra, Hammel, Drial, Grelt, and the Waste share a peace with each other. While disputes and disagreements have occurred, war is all but forgotten by the people. The last one fought was over 25 years past, a war known as the Demon War, mainly for the reason that many believe that the leader of the Dark Army was a demon that had taken on human form. The time of peace that followed was known as the Age of Light. Our story begins in this age, in the Kingdom of Gryra….

* * *

**Omega: So… what did you think?**

**Albedo: It was okay.**

**Yoshi: I quite liked it. Very informative.**

**Omega: Thanks. Please note, dear readers, that I will be accepting characters via PM, _not_ review. I am using the Sacred Stones classes, just so you know.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Albedo: No reviews, huh?**

**Omega: Well, who would review an intro chapter?**

**Yoshi: He makes a good point.**

**Omega: Well, on with the story.

* * *

**

Chapter 2: Jodus, the Idiot

In the royal city of Gryra, a young horseman sat, yawning.

"It is _way_ too early for this…" he muttered, still half asleep. Jodus wasn't exactly a morning person. His blue eyes were usually very bright, but now one could barely even see them under drooped eyelids. His blond hair drooped as well, completing the look.

His head began to lower, as he slowly drifted between being awake and asleep. His steed, a brown mare that was much more aware than him at the moment, whinnied and shook its head, causing his red armour to rattle, and effectively shocking him into wakefulness.

"Alright, I'm up, I'm up!" he said, slightly frustrated that he had been awoken from his peaceful slumber.

"Well, what was I doing, now?"

"You were in the middle of a search!" a voice called out to him.

Startled by the sudden sound, Jodus looked around frantically. Eventually, he was relieved to discover that he was not being spoken to by a disembodied voice. The voice, in fact, belonged to another Cavalier, but one that was much older than him. This cavalier had brown hair and dark green armour, in great contrast to Jodus. In fact, the only things almost similar between the two were their steeds and their blue eyes, but even these had distinct differences. Where as Jodus' horse was slightly dirty with an unkempt mane, the other cavalier's horse looked as if it had just been groomed by a master. Where as Jodus' eyes were happy and bright, this man's eyes were dark and told a tale of something terrible.

"Yeesh, Killer, you almost gave me a heart attack!" Jodus exclaimed. He called him Killer, even though that wasn't his name, because that was the only title that he knew for him. No one knew this man's true name, as he simply asked to be called Killer. And since everyone knew he must have had a reason for this name, they happily obliged. No one really knew Killer; he rarely ever talked to anyone. But the fact that he would yell at Jodus whenever they came into contact made him feel as though he had made something close to a friend. A violent friend. A violent friend who seemed to hate him.

"You should get one, you lazy oaf!" Killer said, coming close enough to strike him over the head with the hilt of his sword.

"Hey! What was that for?" Jodus asked, slightly angry about being hit.

"For not keeping your eyes open!" Killer exclaimed, "You could have let that thief walk right by you!"

"You know," Jodus said, with a hint of sarcasm, "when I joined the knights, I didn't think I'd have to run around chasing petty thieves and being yelled at by my peers."

"Well, what did you expect?" Killer shouted, "Being in the knights for a week, you expect to get a whole lot of respect? I've been here for two years, and I'm still working my way up, kid."

"Yeah, yeah," Jodus said, deciding not even to mention that he was being called "kid" by someone only two years older than him, "So, why are we chasing this thief, again? We're knights; shouldn't this be handled by the town guard?"

"This thief has stolen one of the Royal Family's finest treasures. You must remember that at least," Killer said, exasperated.

'_Oh, yeah,'_ was the thought that went through Jodus' mind, but he wasn't fool enough to say it out loud and give Killer another reason to hate him.

"Well, we'd best start looking again, huh?" was what he said, and he rode away before Killer had a chance to answer.

'_Where to look for a thief…'_ Jodus thought as the search continued. This had to be one of the most boring jobs he had been given since he joined the knights. And he had had many. Guard duty wasn't exactly thrilling, so to pass the time he had decided to improve on his aim with the javelin. Was it his fault that the general had picked that exact moment to check up on him?

Jodus had a knack for getting on peoples bad sides. Killer detested his very presence. The general rolled his eyes the second he walked into the same room. Half the knights he had made contact with tended to dislike him. He couldn't help it. Wherever he went, people just didn't like him. He had accepted his curse, as he put it, and moved on.

Lost in thought, Jodus almost missed the movement to his left. Almost, but he did see a figure moving in the shadows. A figure with something glinting in their hand.

'_The thief!'_ Jodus realized after a moment, and called out, "Hey, you!"

He immediately realized this was a mistake, for the thief ran the moment he heard him.

"Why can't this be easy?" Jodus groaned as he gave chase. This proved to exceptionally difficult. While he was mounted and therefore had greater ground speed, the thief made full use of the shadows and stealth.

Miraculously, Jodus was able to keep the chase going to the end of the city. At that point, he lost the thief. Hoping to find clues, he began trotting along the outskirts of the city.

He was startled by voices along the way.

"Hey, girl," came one voice, gruff and deep, "give us your valuables and we'll think about letting you live."

Another voice, female, responded, "No way. I didn't come all this way just to get robbed by the likes of you."

Jodus stumbled in on the scene quite abruptly. A single girl, with knife drawn, was standing in a defensive position, surrounded by five ruffians, all with axes. The girl had short, shoulder length brown hair and fiery amber eyes. She wore a tattered blue traveling cloak.

She looked as though she could handle herself against maybe one or two enemies at a time, but five seemed out of the question. Jodus had to help.

"You there," he said, in an attempt at a tough voice, "What do you think you're doing?"

On of the brutes turned to look at him.

"Oi lads, looks like we have a wannabe hero!" he said, mocking him.

Drawing his spear, Jodus said in a threatening voice, "I suggest you leave. I'm a knight of the kingdom. Even if I couldn't handle you, I can call for reinforcements in a heartbeat."

This was, of course, a bluff. Jodus had no way to contact the other knights, but he hoped that the bandits wouldn't figure that out.

"Alright then," the leader said, "come on boys, let's go."

As the bandits left, Jodus breathed a sigh of relief.

"You know," the girl said, "I could have handled that on my own."

"I'm sure you could," Jodus replied, "but a knight has to watch out for others, regardless."

"Well, when you put it that way," the girl said, "thanks, um… what was your name?"

"I'm Jodus."

"Jodus, hmm?" the girl said, "Nice to meet you. My name's Tia."

"Well Tia, I must be off" said Jodus, who in truth had actually forgotten what he was doing in the first place. Regardless of that, he rode off into the city, determined to do… whatever it was he was supposed to do.

As soon as Tia could tell he was a safe distance away, she smiled.

"I don't believe it," she said, "I didn't think someone that gullible could exist."

She continued to smile as she withdrew her treasure: a golden medallion with ancient runes engraved into it.

"The Fire Emblem, Royal Treasure of the Kingdom of Gryra," she said, a smirk on her face as she walked into the city, "This is going to be good."

* * *

On the outer wall of the city, two figures watched passively as the events unfolded underneath them.

"Not exactly clever, is he?" the first figure said, a well tanned man with a large sword. His brown hair blew in the wind, and his eyes were closed.

"Are you sure he's the guy?" he asked his companion, a black cloaked figure.

As soft voice emanated from the depths of the cloak, "I'm sure."

"Really? He doesn't seem like…"

"Do you seem like what you are, Arden? Do _I_ seem like what _I_ am?" the figure interrupted.

"You make a good point," Arden said, smiling.

"Trust me, this is the one we've been looking for," the figure said.

"This mission will be over soon."

* * *

**Albedo: Well, I'm surprised. A semi-decent story.**

**Yoshi: Quite good.**

**Albedo: Probably because all the characters are given by the readers.**

**Omega: Hey, Jodus and Tia are mine. Same with the mystery character. However I do have to thank Biggoron for Killer and Dairokkan for Arden. Thanks!**

**Yoshi: Omega also wishes to inform you that for any further character submissions, he will have no more need for Mages.**

**Omega: You got it. So unless all of the mages I'll use in the story die(which could be very likely) don't send any more Anima Mages!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Omega: Well, here's the next chapter.**

**Albedo: What, no witty dialogue?**

**Omega: Honestly, the dialogue isn't that witty.**

**Albebo: Well, um…**

**Yoshi: Hey, where's Sméagol? He wasn't here for the last chapter, too.**

**Albedo: I- I honestly have no clue. I'll go look for him.**

**Omega: Yoshi, I'll stay here and give the story. You go figure out what Albedo did to Sméagol.

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**

Chapter 3: New Faces

The next morning, Jodus was slightly worried. He skulked around the Knights' Quarters, the area of the castle that the knights were permitted to live in, in fear. They never managed to find that thief, and he didn't want to run into Killer so that he could blame him.

So of course, it was inevitable that he would run into him first thing in the morning.

"What happened there yesterday?" Killer asked, seething with rage.

"W-what do you mean?" Jodus asked, trying to sound calm.

"You lost the thief!" Killer exclaimed.

"Oh, yeah, about that…"

"No excuses!" Killer shouted. He lifted his younger associate off the ground by the collar and shoved him against a wall. Jodus was afraid that he might start living up to his title, so it was no wonder why he was shaking in fear.

"Hey, you two!" came a call from the left. Both cavaliers looked simultaneously to see who had spoken. It was a simple soldier, who seemed undisturbed at the fact that Killer was holding Jodus to the wall.

"Yeah," the soldier said as soon as he got their attention, "the general wants to see you."

Jodus' fear went to a slight nervousness. He knew that in the presence of the general, Killer wouldn't be able to maul him. However, as it has been stated before, Jodus wasn't exactly the general's favourite person.

Slowly, Killer let him down, and the two walked to the general's quarters in an awkward silence.

Jodus walked to the wooden door first. He opened it just enough to stick his head in and said, "Hello?"

Within the room was a man who, on first glance, seemed nothing more than a slightly aged man. His hair was beginning to turn grey, and his armour seemed to have accumulated many dents and scratches. His appearance spoke of nothing great. But his eyes told of a mighty warrior who had seen hundreds of battles. This was the general.

"Greetings, Jobus," he said, mispronouncing Jodus' name yet again, "Come on in."

Jodus opened the door all the way and walked in, quickly followed by Killer, who quickly shut the door.

"General Tero," Killer said, addressing the general in a very formal way, "why have we been summoned?"

"Yes, of course," Tero said, "I should explain."

"I am sure you two are familiar with the events of yesterday. Concerning the thief, I mean."

"Yes, Sir," Jodus said, avoiding Killer's eyes.

"Very good, Janus," the general replied, "then both of you must understand we must catch this thief."

"Yes, Sir," Killer responded.

"We have determined that the villain has by now made his way to Hammel. So I have decided that you," the general said, addressing Killer directly, "and a small group, including James here, will deliver a message to Queen Titiana. She knows those woods better than anyone."

'_**James**?'_ Jodus thought, _'How the **heck** did he get James out of Jodus?'_

"And who else would be included in this group, Sir?" Killer asked, still keeping a calm and respectful air."

"I'm glad you asked," the general said, "because they're assembled just outside that door."

He pointed to a door opposite the one they had come from, and said in a loud voice to be heard on the other side of it, "You may come in now."

A small group of people walked into the room. The first of which was a young man who appeared to be no more than sixteen years of age. He had red, scruffy hair that was kept out of his blue eyes by a blue headband. His blue pants were tucked into his boots, and he had a white undershirt on. Over all of this, he wore a blood red travelling cloak that seemed to have burns on it.

"This is Pyren," the general said, introducing the young man, "a mage and strategist from Drial."

"Greetings," Pyren sneered.

The next individual to walk through the doors was a girl with a crossbow, a fairly new weapon developed by the inventors of the Ocean Kingdom. The girl had shoulder length brown hair and grey eyes. She wore a long sleeved yellow shirt and a brown skirt.

"And this," the general continued, "is Norma, a hunter originally from Hammel. She will assist you greatly in navigating the forests."

"Hiya!" Norma said enthusiastically.

The final recruit to enter the door was a familiar to Jodus.

"Tia!" Jodus exclaimed.

"Jodus, it so nice to see you… again," Tia murmured.

"Well, since you know each other," the general stated, "I guess I don't need to introduce her."

"Alright, since this is everybody," Jodus observed, "I guess we can get going, right General Tiro?"

"Very well," the general replied, "You are dismissed. You leave first thing in the morning, so get some rest."

As the group made its way to the exit, the general added, "Killer, if you could stay behind a moment."

Killer turned from the rest of the group and faced the general. After the rest left, an uneasy silence fell.

"Sir, why have you asked me to stay behind?" Killer inquired.

"Does Jodus know what has been taken?" the general asked without answering. His voice, which had up until then been friendly, warm, and upbeat, suddenly became very serious.

"I'm sure I mentioned it to him, but he's probably forgotten," Killer answered.

"Why do you ask?"

"Make sure he does not find out," the general said simply, "should you have to abandon your mission for this, so be it."

"Sir?" Killer said, confused, "Why would I do that? What could be more important than reclaiming the Fire Emblem?"

"I suppose someone in the group should know," Tiro said, his voice drifting off, "but I must have your solemn word not to reveal this information to anyone, unless absolutely necessary."

"Yes sir," Killer replied with a salute.

"Then sit down, for this is a long story."

* * *

**Yoshi: Oh, a cliffhanger.**

**Omega: Yoshi! So, did you find Sméagol?**

**Yoshi: Yes, though I'd rather not say what Albedo did to him.**

**Omega: Fair enough. Anywho, thanks for all the characters, guys! Just so you know, I'm not using all of them at once. So those of you who haven't seen one of their characters yet, don't worry. Oh, and by the way, I need some light magic users. Don't overdo it, but I'm gunna need some help.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Omega: Sorry for the lateness guys!**

**Albedo: Wow, this story's starting to look a lot like your other one. Dull and dead.**

**Omega: Shut it.**

**Albedo: Make me!**

**Omega: I have got to find a way to get a handle on him…**

**Anywho, on with the story!

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Chapter 4: The First Roadblock

The next morning, the entire group was up bright and early. With the morning sun in his eyes, and his early morning sleepiness, Jodus was almost blind.

"I take it you're not a morning person," Tia said to Jodus as the group began to move. She had noticed that he seemed to have a hard time keeping his eyes open.

"Nope," Jodus responded stifling a yawn.

"And how exactly do you expect to catch a thief with your eyes half shut?" Tia inquired with a raised eyebrow.

"By sheer dumb luck," Jodus said simply, still not quite aware of what was going on.

This forced a snicker out of Tia, who continued to walk alongside her drowsy companion's slow moving horse.

At the back of the group, Pyren and Norma quietly followed the rest. Norma was performing routine maintenance on her crossbow, while her mage companion was amusing himself by systematically lighting and putting out a small fire in his hand.

Eventually, this became quite annoying to the archer. She turned to Pyren and asked, "Do you have to do that?"

"Not really," came the simple response.

"So why are you doing it?"

"I like fire," Pyren said, once again being quite frank.

"Well, it's annoying, so can you cut it out?"

"Yes," Pyren said, and continued to light his fire.

"Pyren!" Norma yelled.

"Yes?" the flame obsessed mage responded, keeping his cool.

"I what did we just finish discussing?" Norma asked, now far past annoyed.

"You asked if I could stop. You didn't ask if I would."

"Okay, that does it!" Norma shouted. The infuriated archer jumped at Pyren, attempting to use her crossbow as some sort of bludgeoning weapon. Pyren dodged and laughed hysterically, beginning to run.

Killer led the procession, and let loose a small smirk at his younger, slightly immature soldiers. His smirk faded as his eyes landed on Jodus.

He still couldn't believe it. What General Tiro had told him was beyond remarkable. It was unbelievable.

* * *

"_That's quite the story, General," Killer had told him._

"_Indeed," the General responded, "quite the story. And if I hadn't seen it myself, I probably wouldn't believe it either."_

"_To think," Killer had mused, "Jodus, of all people…"_

"_He really doesn't seem like it, does he?" Tiro agreed._

"_No, not at all," Killer responded._

"_You do realize what this means?" the General asked._

"_Of course, sir," Killer stated._

"_You will protect him, regardless of what that means?"_

"_Yes, sir."_

"_And should the worst occur, are you willing to do what is necessary?"_

_Killer had thought that over for quite a while. Even now, he still wasn't sure of the answer he had given._

"_Yes."

* * *

_

Killer continued to stare in Jodus' direction. Even though he was half asleep, Jodus eventually noticed this.

"What?" he asked Killer, "Do I have something on my face?"

"No," Killer growled, maintaining his tough image.

Turning around, he muttered to himself, "And I thought I had a dark past…"

* * *

After the troop had been marching for several hours, Killer halted the procession.

"We've made good time today, troops," he told them, "It's getting dark, so I think we can set up camp here."

Jodus, who had woken up sometime during the day, piped up.

"Hey, Killer, there's a village not to far from here. Why don't we stay there?" he suggested.

"That's sir, to you, Jodus," Killer reminded him.

"Sorry, sir," Jodus said, correcting himself, "but anyway, the village of Teim isn't far from here. It's got a good inn because it gets lots of travellers who come to see the sacred relic housed in the Teim Chapel."

After a short pause, Norma was the first to respond to Jodus' very detailed report.

"Thank you, Captain Tour Guide," she said sarcastically.

"How exactly do you know that?" Tia inquired.

"I know lots of stuff like that," Jodus explained, "because my dad made me learn it."

"We don't have time for idle banter," Killer forcefully reminded his troops.

"Now if Jodus is correct," he went on, "then I suppose we could seek lodging at the inn there. And since it was his idea, Jodus can pay the bill."

A collection of ayes and similar terms came from the rest of the troop, with the exception of Jodus, who groaned loudly.

"Alright troops," Killer shouted, "March!"

Jodus, slightly discouraged by the cost of his actions, was regardless looking forward to the sight of a warm, friendly village in the evening light.

This wasn't exactly what he got. True, the village was in the evening light, and true, the village was definitely warm. But at the moment, it did not seem friendly.

Few burning villages do.

"The village is on fire!" Jodus exclaimed. He noticed also there seemed to be torch bearing figures in the midst of the blaze.

"Thank you, Master of the Obvious," Norma said, once again showing her talent for sarcasm.

Pyren was the only one who didn't seem at all worried. In fact, the strange little mage seemed even excited at the sight of such a large blaze.

"Troops, it is our duty to fight to protect the people of this village!" Killer shouted, "So prepare yourselves!"

He caught a passing glimpse at Jodus and thought, '_I hope this doesn't get ugly.'_

With that he charged, leading his troop on into their first engagement.

* * *

A slight distance away from the group, Arden and his companion watched with interest.

"Should we help them, Ania?" Arden asked with obvious concern.

The dark hooded figure that was Ania responded emotionlessly, "No."

"But what about the kid?" Arden asked again.

The dark figure lowered its hood so that Arden could see its face.

The figure turned out to be a girl of startling and strange beauty, with raven black hair and blood red eyes.

"Jodus will be fine," she told him, "he has his companions to make sure of that."

"And besides," she said, turning her attention back to the burning village, "I want to see how good he really is."

* * *

**Omega: So that's that.**

**Albedo: Kind of a lacklustre ending.**

**Omega: You know, I finally figured out how to keep you in line.**

**Albedo: How?**

**(Albedo bursts into flame)**

**Omega: That.**

**Yoshi: How'd you do that?**

**Omega: I'm the writer. He's one of the characters. I can do whatever I want with him.**

**Oh, speaking of characters, because of a technical error, many of my emails have been deleted. Meaning that if you sent in a character and haven't seen them yet, please re-send them. In particular, there was a pirate, a Pegasus knight, a shaman, and a female Wyvern knight that I liked but can't remember well.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Omega: Well, here's the next chapter.**

**Albedo: Hopefully it makes up for the last one.**

**Omega: Low blow there, buddy. Oh, and to all my fans out there, sorry I haven't updated recently. Busy summer.

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**

Chapter 5: Memories Amongst the Flames

Jodus rushed into the blaze without a second thought. He barely had time to here Killer bark the command, "Jodus, Tia, try and find the survivors!"

'_Didn't have to tell me that one,'_ Jodus thought to himself as he charged forward, barely allowing Tia to keep up.

In the midst of the fire, Jodus suspicions were confirmed: this village was indeed under attack by bandits. Most likely, they were after the relic in the Tiem Chapel. But that wasn't his problem right now.

Jodus spotted an unarmed man cowering in fear before two bandits armed with heavy axes. Readying his spear, he charged at one of the bandits at full force. His spear was impaled into the brigand before he had time to react. Jodus turned around to find that Tia had drawn her dagger and caught the other ruffian off guard.

"It's alright," Tia told the man, "we're here to help. Get to safety immediately."

The man followed her instructions and rushed to the city gate. No sooner than they had lost him amidst the flames that four more bandits noticed their presence.

"Looks like we're going to be here a while," Tia commented with a smirk.

* * *

Elsewhere in the burning town, a young girl ran for her life. Her navy blue cloak was flying behind her as she ran. She was chased, not only by bandits, but by the dark spectres of a memory best forgotten.

"_Where is she?"_ a voice from a lifetime ago yelled, still as loud as ever.

"_Where's the witch?"_

"_Run Korina!"_

"_Get back you- AHHH!"_

The flames brought back all these memories, and each was as painful as the last. They brought a panic to Korina's mind. She could barely concentrate enough to avoid the bandits in the village.

She turned to avoid a bandit that his back to her, and almost ran into another figure. This one was younger, female, and in all regards didn't actually look much like a bandit.

She wore a brown traveller's cloak, and had brown hair.

But Korina wasn't about to stop and ask questions. Calming down enough to center herself, she called upon an ancient force. Using her own body as a channel, she flung forth an attack of pure magic.

She was surprised to see that, moments later, her attack had been blocked. The figure had raised a magic stave, and created a shimmering shield to protect herself.

"A practitioner of the Dark Arts, hmm?" the unknown female said.

"Stay back, Dark One, for I am protected by the blessings of the Divine Wind."

"I have no quarrel with you," Korina said, "so I suggest you get out of my way."

Wordlessly, the mysterious girl turned away and ran in the other direction. Korina turned as well, and discovered that the bandit she had avoided earlier was now aware of her presence. Korina repeated the spell she had used before, and this time the results were much more effective. The bandit was sent flying back into a crumbling wall, where he presumably was killed by the impact.

Her obstacle now gone, Korina rushed forward, desperate to escape the town.

* * *

Killer, Pyren, and Norma charged forward, with Killer in the lead and Pyren and Norma attacking anything he left alive.

Killer had to marvel at the efficiency of his new troops. Pyren, who could get a much better aim on his target, flung flames towards the bandits, while Norma finished off the now incapacitated enemies.

Killer swung his hefty blade at yet another bandit thoughtless enough to come close. The sight of the charging cavalier was a frightening thing indeed. He and his steed had almost a maddened look in their eye, and the surrounding destruction only added to the effect. Bandits fled from his presence, and the duo of Norma and Pyren made full use of this fear.

Caught up in the frenzy of battle, Killer almost missed the cloaked figure rush right past him. He stayed his sword, realizing that this was no bandit. The figure seemed too small for the ruff work of a brigand.

"You, in the cloak!" he called out, wanting to make sure this person was unharmed.

Obviously this individual didn't understand Killer's intentions, for it turned around and sent something flying at him. Killer managed to jump off his horse just in time to avoid the attack.

"We mean you no harm!" he cried out once again, trying to explain himself, "We are knights of the kingdom, we are here to help!"

The figure, who was about to launch another attack, stopped. Slowly, the figure lowered its hood to reveal a young girl with tan eyes and grey hair.

"I'm sorry for the misunderstanding," Killer continued, "but I do mean you no harm. In fact, I am sworn to ensure the safety of the citizens of Gryra."

"I am no citizen of Gryra," the girl retorted, "and I am quite capable of protecting myself."

"As I have seen," Killer commented with a smirk, "you have great talent in magical arts. Why do you not ally yourself with our brigade? We could use any help we get."

After a moment of contemplation, the girl stated, "I suppose I could lend my talents to your cause. Who am I serving under, if I may ask?"

"I am Killer, and that is all you need know."

"An interesting moniker, to be sure," the girl said.

"You may call me Korina."

"Well then, we shall see if anything becomes of this, Korina," Killer said as he turned to his horse and mounted.

Korina didn't respond at first, but looked at Killer's other allies instead. The girl wasn't that interesting, but the boy…

Korina's heart almost skipped a beat when she saw him. Could it be?

"We shall see," she replied, "we shall see."

* * *

Jodus and Tia rushed forward, defending villagers and pointing them to a way of safety. Eventually, they came upon a burning building with the door locked shut.

"We should check in here," Tia suggested.

"But it's locked tight," Jodus observed, "how will we get in?"

"Leave that to me," Tia said with a devilish smile.

Slowly, she withdrew a small pointed piece of metal. She gently pushed it into the lock of the door, and with a click, opened it.

"Where did you learn to do that?" Jodus asked with a confused look on his face.

'Is he really that dense?' Tia thought, and then said aloud, "That doesn't matter. Keep watch from here while I go in to see if there is anyone in here."

With that, Tia rushed into the burning building. No sooner had she left than Jodus heard the sound of approaching footsteps. He turned around and readied his spear, only to discover that the approaching individual was not a bandit, but a sobbing child.

Jodus put his spear away and dismounted his horse. He kneeled down so that he could see the young boy's face and asked, "Are you okay?"

Sobbing, the boy responded with the simple words, "M-my mother…"

These words were like knives to Jodus' heart. To his mind were brought images of a boy, not unlike this one. Alone and afraid, for himself and his loved ones. Lost in a sea of flames, with no one to help him.

"Where is your mother?" Jodus asked.

"I-I don't know…" the child managed to say through the tears.

Jodus gently lifted the child onto his horse, and then mounted it himself.

"Then let's find her," he said reassuringly. He gave one final glance at the building behind him where Tia was.

"Sorry Tia, but this is important."

* * *

"Hey," Norma called to her mage companion, "have you noticed that girl has been staring at you?"

"What?" Pyren responded, having been caught up in the fight.

"That girl, who was talking to the Captian was talking to a while back," the archer explained, pointing towards the cloaked girl a little ways off, "she keeps looking back at you. It's kinda creepy."

"Maybe I'm just so good looking that she can't take her eyes off me," Pyren suggested.

"Ha. Ha," Norma replied sarcastically.

Before Pyren could come up with a witty remark for that, something occurred that drew his attention. Tia, whom he noticed was without Jodus, was running at top speed, followed by three bandits.

Pyren quickly eliminated one with a well aimed fireball, while Norma handled the other one with her arrows. Tia then swiftly turned around and struck at the remaining bandit with her knife.

"What happened?" Pyren asked.

"That idiot, Jodus was supposed to cover my back," Tia said, "but he ended up running off somewhere, leaving me to deal with an entire group of bandits on my own. Oh, if I ever see him again…"

* * *

Meanwhile, Jodus was much further into the village. He stopped before the Tiem Chapel, where an interesting event was taking place.

Three individuals stood in front of the chapel, the only untouched building around. The first was a bandit with his back turned to Jodus and his axe drawn. The second was a man who, judging by his clothing, was a monk. The third, behind the monk, was a severely wounded woman lying on the ground.

"MOTHER!" the little boy called out in recognition.

This sound drew the attention of the bandit, who turned around to investigate. Jodus was amazed to realize that he recognised the man. It was the same bandit leader whom he had spoken to outside the royal city of Gryra. The one who had been harassing Tia with his small group of thugs.

"Well, if it isn't the hero," he said, obviously recognising Jodus.

Jodus helped the child off the horse and motioned him to remain where he was. Jodus then drew his spear and said, "This time I won't let you off so easy."

With a hardy laugh, the bandit said in a mocking tone, "Come on, then. Prepare to be killed by the axe of Kawin. You won't provide much more sport than that little lady over there."

Rage boiled within Jodus' heart. With a shout, he rushed forward, with the intend to impale his spear into the brigand's black heart. The bandit merely ducked under the tip of the spear, laughing at the pitiable attempt. Blinded by rage, Jodus swung his spear around, attempting to catch the bandit off guard. This to met with failure, as the bandit dodged the blow yet again. He then threw his axe at Jodus, which was a direct hit. It did little damage, besides denting Jodus' armour, but it also knocked Jodus off his horse.

Stunned by the fall, Jodus couldn't get up. The bandit used this time to pick up his axe off the ground and press it perilously close to Jodus' neck.

"Looks like I win, hero," he sneered.

"It's not over yet," Jodus said defiantly.

"Oh, yes it is," the Kawin retorted, "and once I'm done with you, this town, and all who remain in it, will be destroyed."

Kawin raised his axe to deliver the final blow. But at last Jodus could move.

With blinding speed he move out of the path of the blade and grabbed his spear.

"You will not touch these people," he growled as he rose from the ground.

"I'm growing tired of this," Kawin said irritably, "It's time to end this!"

He rushed at Jodus, preparing to finish the battle with one final strike. But something had changed. All the anger and rage within Jodus, which up until now was impeding his actions, had given him a new and frightening strength. Again his thoughts turned toward that child, all those years ago. Helpless.

He would do what that child could not.

Jodus raised his spear in defence, and it caught the blade of the axe. With a push, Jodus sent him flying back. He then thrust his weapon forward, no longer directing his actions out of thought, but out of a seething hatred for the man whom he was facing. Kawin raised the axe head in defence, but as soon as the spear head made contact with it, the axe shattered like glass.

Defenceless and terrified, Kawin threw aside his now useless weapon and backed away. But he wasn't quick enough, and Jodus made use of this. He swung his spear with such power that the shaft shattered as it hit the man. Kawin fell to the ground, and Jodus picked up the spearhead beside him and pressed it to his neck.

"Now it's time to end this," Jodus mocked him, preparing to push the spearhead into Kawin's throat.

"Wait!" came a voice from behind him.

Jodus turned his head to see who had spoken, keeping his makeshift weapon in position the whole time. He realized that the monk, who had been facing Kawin earlier, was still there. It was he who had spoken. The monk was a young man, with blonde hair and fear filled eyes. Behind him was the boy Jodus had rode with, sobbing over his mother, whom Jodus could see now was alive, if only just barely.

Jodus also saw that the rest of his group had come sometime during his attack. They wore expressions somewhere between amazement and fear.

Except for Killer. He wore an expression of anger.

"That's enough, Jodus," he told him forcefully, "That man is no longer a threat."

Slowly, Jodus began to come back to himself. Slowly, he rose and dropped the spear head. Kawin, now in quite a pitiable state, rose quickly and rushed to his escape.

The rain began to fall, and nature began to put out the flames that the bandits had caused.

"I suggest we find shelter in the Chapel," the monk suggested.

Jodus wordlessly followed this advice, opening the large doors and silently entering the holy place.

"What was that all about?" Norma wondered aloud.

Killer remained silent, but grimaced. He knew all to well what that was about.

* * *

**Yoshi: That was a definitely good chapter.**

**Albedo: It made up for the last one, that's for sure.**

**Omega: Well, that's the chapter. Unless a miracle occurs, there will probably be only one more this summer, if we're lucky. Like I said, busy summer.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Yoshi: People seemed to really like that last chapter.**

**Albedo: Of course they did. There was death!**

**Sméagol: He's obsessive, precious.**

**Omega: Yeah, well, here's the next chapter.

* * *

**

Chaper 6: The Threads of Fate.

After many days of travelling, the Killer's little troop stopped for the night with the forests of Hammel in sight.

Pyren had started a campfire, and Norma was sitting next to him, exchanging conversation with the mage. Jodus and Tia were standing guard in case of bandits, andand having quite the argument while doing so.

"Look, how many times am I going to say, 'I'm sorry,' before you forgive me?" Jodus exclaimed.

"You left me for DEAD!" Tia shouted back.

"I needed to-" Jodus started, and was promptly cut off.

"YOU DIDN'T NEED TO DO ANYTHING!" An infuriated Tia roared, and then went on long and very loud rant.

Killer was, miraculously, sleeping throughout all of this. Toss and turn he might, but the bellowing Tia never woke him.

Finally, the group's two newest recruits, the Shaman Korina, and the monk who was outside the chapel when the bandits had attacked, Brother Timothy, were away from the rest of the group. No one really understood why this peaceful monk wanted to join their cause, but his Light magic was definitely a boon to the group, so no one questioned it.

Timothy, finishing up his evening prayers, attempted to make conversation with the girl.

"So, what is your name?" he inquired.

"Hm?" Korina said, as she had been lost in thought looking at the boy near the fire.

"You seem to be interested in that boy, if I'm not mistaken," Timothy observed with a smile.

"Not in the way your thinking," Korina responded.

"Whatever you say," Timothy said.

"But if you are vying for that boy's attention, then I think you will have a little competition," he commented, gesturing at Norma.

Korina remained silent for a while, but then said, "I never answered your first question. I'm Korina."

"Timothy," the monk introduced himself, extending his hand, "It is my great pleasure to meet you, Korina."

Korina ignored the gesture and returned to her silent watch. Timothy shrugged, and walked closer to the fire, ready to sleep.

* * *

In the mysterious dark of the forest of Hammel, three travellers walked calmly. One, a small girl in black armour and blond hair, walked beside her horse. A sword was at her side and her brown eyes showed that she could use it. Another, a young man about the age of fifteen, with brown hair and a black, hooded cloak that hid his eyes, walked beside the girl's steed. Twin knives were at his side. 

In front of them, leading the procession was a young man about sixteen. His brown eyes showed the soul of a great adventurer, his green cloak and dark brown, almost black hair flew in the wind, and he wore a blue headband. A sword was at his side.

"A nice day for a walk in the woods, wouldn't you say, Cross?" the leader of the group asked the hooded boy.

"Indeed, Anthony," Cross responded, "the mysterious shadows of the forest are sublime."

"You seriously creep me out," the girl commented.

"Oh, poor Christina," Anthony said in a mocking baby voice, "Is my little sis scared?"

"Oh, shut up," Christina retorted.

"That's the best you can come up with, wimp?" Cross snickered.

"Excuse me?" the young girl said, putting her hands on her hips, "If I recall correctly, this 'wimp' beat you-"

"Shh!" Cross suddenly interrupted.

"What?" Christina said, outraged, "How dare you-"

"Shh!" Cross shushed again, "Something's following us."

Slowly, the 'something', showed itself. In appearance of a white wolf, but with a black mane and bloodstained teeth, the thing growled menacingly.

"Just one?" Anthony wondered aloud, "this won't be fun."

As if on cue, more of the things came from the shadows, surrounding the group.

Christina gave her brother glare, as though saying, "You had to say something, didn't you?"

"Now," Cross announced, drawing his weapons, "the fun begins."

* * *

Elsewhere in the woods, a woman stood in combat with the very same sort of creatures as the trio elsewhere. 

The woman, whose blue eyes betrayed no emotion, was dressed in the garb of a cleric, but was fighting as anything but. Her short black hair was already damp with sweat, as she was fighting the creatures unarmed.

She drove her heel into the throat of one creature, and turned to bring her knee into the stomach of another. Her fist smashed against another creature's jaw. She was holding up excellently, but she was tiring, something one of the creatures was about to exploit.

Waiting until she had turned to fight of another of its kin, the beast jumped at her, its maw gaping open, ready for fresh meat.

But the creature hadn't anticipated an ally of this human. It realized the mistake to late when a robed figure with brown hair jumped from the shadows and struck it with a long, slightly curved blade.

The figure's solemn grey eyes scanned the area, and found no more of the creatures about.

"Are you unharmed, Lady Lia?" he queried, sheathing his blade

"Yes, Ryu," Lia said, "Thank you for your assistance."

"You have hired me to be your guardian," Ryu said unemotionally, "And so I going to make sure you get your money's worth."

Lia shook her head as she began to walk away.

"Mercenaries."

* * *

Ania and Arden had been following their target in silence for quite some time. Both parties having finally stopped, Arden felt that it was time for some conversation. 

"So, what do you think of their two new companions?" he asked, more out of boredom than curiosity.

"The ones they picked up in the village?"

"Yes," Arden replied, "The girl and the monk. What do you think?"

"I think they pose no threat to our mission," Ania responded, "but I'm still worried about their commander."

"Why?" Arden inquired.

"Something tells me _he_ will be a threat to the mission."

After some silence, Arden heard Ania mumbling something about fate.

"What was that?"

"I was quoting to myself something my… 'Parents' used to say," She explained, "They said that everybody in the world is connected, as though there were invisible threads binding them. When these threads are sown together, people become connected, a part of each other's lives. This is how the great stories of the world are weaved."

Arden raised his eyebrows.

"So do you think they were speaking literally or metaphorically?" he asked.

"I'm not sure…" Ania admitted, noticing that the sun was coming up and the group they were shadowing was moving again, "But I do know this. I can feel it in the wind. The Threads of Fate, literal or not, are coming together."

* * *

**Omega: Well, there's the chapter.**

**Albedo: Eh, it was okay, I guess.**

**Omega: I'll take that as a compliment from you, Albedo.**

**Yoshi: Didn't you have an announcement?**

**Omega: Oh yeah. I have compiled a list of all the classes that have yet to be used. They are: Knight, Mercenary, Fighter, Troubadour, and Priest. I also have room for two more Pegasus Knights (to stick to tradition) and I am also accepting_ some_, not all, original classes submitted.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Omega: Sorry for the lateness, guys.**

**Albedo: What's your excuse this time?**

**Sméagol: Master doesn'ts have one, he don't.**

**Omega: Heh heh… um, lateness aside, here's hoping you'll like this chapter.

* * *

**

Chapter 7: Dark Revelations

The group had finally made it to the dark forests of Hammel. It should have been easy from then on. However, they had failed to take into account one thing.

"We're lost, aren't we?" Pyren asked Norma. He had noticed that their guide didn't seem to confident of their location.

"We're not lost, we're… taking a detour," Norma responded.

"Uh-huh. Is that why I'm seeing the same marking on that tree for the third time?" Pyren pointed out, gesturing to a tree with a large gash in it. He smiled as he watched his companion turn red.

"I'm sure it would be easier to find our way if some of these trees weren't here. I'm sure I could…"

"No Pyren," Norma interrupted, "You will not start a fire."

Disappointed, Pyren grew silent for a moment. Then, he continued.

"You know, I'm sure there's someone around we can get directions from," he suggested.

"I don't need directions," Norma said, seething with frustration, "What I need is for you to shut up!"

"All we would need to do is make a smoke signal…"

"No Pyren!" Norma raged, "You will not start a fire!"

"Fine." Pyren said, "But if you change your mind…"

"Shh!" Norma shushed, he demeanour changing instantly. While just a moment ago she was angry and unfocused, she was now staring ahead with a serious expression on her face.

"What? I was just saying-"

"Shh!" Norma repeated, "Something's ahead."

"So?" Pyren stated.

"If there is one thing you learn about these woods," Norma explained in a hushed tone, "it's that if you run into something, nine times out of ten it's not friendly."

Slowly, Norma inched forward, motioning for her companions to quietly follow her lead.

"You have done well, Eolen," a female voice said just out of sight.

Norma peeked through the undergrowth she was crouching behind, and saw a blond haired woman atop a brown horse. Her back was to her, so her face was not visible, but she had a sword at her side and a bow in her hands.

The second individual, a red haired individual who was presumably Eolen, was bowing before the woman. As he rose to his feet, Norma caught a look at his face. His yellow eyes showed a frightening persona, a mad terror in human form.

"You do me great honour, your Majesty," he said to the woman.

"That's the Queen we're looking for?" Jodus asked quietly. He thankfully understood that it was better for them to not be noticed at the moment.

* * *

Not noticing the spies a short distance away, the Queen continued, "Your aid has been a great asset to this kingdom. Without it, Kreyal would never fall to our might."

That came as a surprise to the entire group. The queen of Hammel was intent on assaulting Kreyal, the home of one of the greatest armies on the continent?

'_What's going on here?'_ Killer wondered. What would cause the queen of this kingdom to attack the most powerful military force on the continent? He could only imagine that the man Eolen had something to do with this, but what?

"The mountain kingdom will crumble," Eolen stated with a look of joy, "and you shall become Empress of all Allercia."

"Then with you blessing," the queen said, "I shall take my forces and leave this forest in your hands."

She then raised her hand, as a puppeteer would when using a marionette. As if heeding an unheard command, black shadows began to form around her. Slowly, the darkness began to rise from the ground and take shape. Some took the form of hideous wolves. Others took a vaguely human figure, but with weapons instead of hands. Others were nothing more than masses of shadow, with tendrils extending every which way.

Ten such beings rose from nothingness, and stood watching their summoner and her companion.

"We ride!" the queen shouted loudly to the creatures, and then rode of north, towards her target. Looking into the shadows of the trees, one could see more creatures forming and following their brethren.

As soon as all were gone, Eolen chuckled to himself and said, "Ah, the wonders of war."

Killer looked back to his troops and whispered, "We must bring word of this to the king of Kreyal."

Looking around at faces that spoke in agreement, Killer noticed one of his troops was missing.

Jodus.

He turned, and to late realized that he had left cover to confront the man Eolen.

"I'm going to kill that idiot," Killer growled.

* * *

"Hey, you!" Jodus cried out, getting the attention of the man before him.

Turned to look, and said, "Well, what have we here? I suppose you heard all of that."

"You bet I did," Jodus responded, "and I want to know what you're doing."

"Jodus, you idiot, get back over here!" Killer called to him, emerging from the bushes with his other troops.

"And what's this?" Eolen said in a mock concerned voice, "you have friends? Oh well, I guess I'll have to kill every one of you, then."

Smiling, the man drew a long, slightly curved sword from his side, and raised his other hand with the palm facing the sky. Shadows like the ones that appeared moments ago began to form at his feet, and a great swirling storm of darkness began to form in his hand.

The group readied their weapons, preparing for a great battle ahead.

* * *

In the skies over the forest, a fourteen year old girl was laughing atop a pegasus. The beautiful white winged horse pulled out of a dive just in time to keep from crashing into the trees.

The girl's armour identified her as a Pegasus Knight, an order of aerial troops from Kreyal. Her black hair flew in the wind, and her brown eyes were filled with enthusiasm.

"One more time, Dove," she said to her steed, "let's just do that one more time."

Dove responded by pulling up and preparing for another dive.

But before the pegasus could do so, a voice came saying, "Stop right there, Adele!"

"Ah, here comes Devoj to ruin our fun," Adele whispered to Dove, referring to the wyvern knight coming in their direction.

The boy was about her age, had brown hair and eyes, and his armour and wyvern were both a light green. He had a look of frustration on his face.

"Hey, Devoj," Adele called out, "how are you and Nak doing?"

"His name is Nachash," Devoj replied, referring to his wyvern, "and don't you 'hey' me. What do you think you're doing, goofing off while we should be on patrol?"

"You take things way to seriously," Adele said with a smile.

"And you don't take anything seriously enough!"

Before Adele could make a witty comeback, she spotted something southward. A swirling dark mist was forming, and the sounds of battle could faintly be heard from that direction.

"What's happening over there?" she wondered aloud.

"None of our business, that's what," Devoj told her.

"But someone could be in trouble," the Pegasus Knight protested, "we should help!"

She flew off before her friend could object, leaving him to chase after her, wondering, _'What am I going to do with her?'

* * *

_

Just far enough from the fighting, Arden and Ania watched with concern.

"We should help them," Arden complained, his hand at his sword and ready for battle.

"Help comes to them from the north," Ania calmly said, "and we should not reveal ourselves so hastily."

"But they've never fought these creatures," Arden said, "How do we know they'll survive?"

"Arden-" Ania began, but swiftly turned to face one of the wolf-like creatures that had come from behind them.

Arden raised his large blade to strike, but never had to because at that moment, a man leapt from the shadows, sword drawn.

He swiftly slew the creature and then turned to face the people he had rescued. Arden cried out in recognition when he saw his face.

"Ryu!" He said, moving in front of Ania and raising his sword into battle position.

"You don't think I'd let you get killed by anyone but me, did you Arden?" the brown haired mercenary said before rushing at Arden, ready to strike.

* * *

**Omega: Suspense! Drama! Cliffhangers!**

**Albedo: Loser with one word sentences!**

**Omega: Oh, shut up. I want to make some announcements. First off, I am officially limiting the number of characters per class in this story to three. That means no more cavaliers or shamans (a new one will be introduced next chapter), but I do have room for one more mage now!**

**Second, I am accepting submissions of Royalty. I'm covered for the Waste, but I am in desperate need of a prince/princess of Shiena for an upcoming chapter, and it would be interesting to get an heir to the throne of Kreyal or Hammel involved in this.**

**Yoshi: But don't get too excited. Omega can only accept so many, or else he'd have twenty different princes and princesses running about.**

**Omega: Finally, I would like to get some of the trainee classes (Journeyman, Recruit, and Pupil) for this story. Same rule as royalty applies here, folks. Can't have too many newbies running around!**

**Well, until the next update (which hopefully won't take as long as this one!)**


End file.
